Jack whistled to himself as he made his way down Second Street, glancing about the dark street. It didn't have many cars going down it at the moment as the sun had set a fair amount of time before. He had only two News Papers left in his hand, having sold the other ninety-eight that day. He had found himself not selling as well as usual, seeing as how his average was a two-hundred and to be home before night-fall. However, this was usually with the help of Les.

Unfortunately, the boy had fallen ill with the flu and was out of commission for until he found himself well enough to be out on the streets again.

It was a shame both for his health and both he and Jack's finances. He'd grown to depend on the short stack and was a bit out of practice without his help.

Jack let our a small sigh as he neared the gates with the large words of The World mocking him at the top. Perhaps he'd have spent more time glaring at the letters had it not been for a certain lengthy other that was currently sitting across the way in the square of the block, waving a news-paper with tired mumbles to the two people that awkward passed by him with a wave.
Jack furrowed his brow and smirked in amusement before sliding his hands flat into his front pockets and striding over to the flustered boy, stopping a few feet away. He eyed the half-full stack of News-Papers behind him, "Quite the haul there, Davey." He mused.

"Jack," Davey sighed in somewhat relief, "Hey."

"Hey yourself- what's with the...?" Jack revered to the large mount of paper behind the boy.

Davey groaned and slumped down onto the brick ground beneath him, beside the newspapers, "I haven't even sold half my stack!"

"You didn't sell half your stack- you say it like fifty peeps will magically pop outta' nowheres." Jack snorted.

"They might..." Davey mumbled before shaking his head, "I'm just...worried about Les, and- it's so much harder without him."

"Probably doesn't help we split up today." Jack shrugged.

"You said it yourself, Les is the only one who need out of us two."

Jack flushed, "I never said nothin' of that!"

"Multiple times, yeah, you have." Davey reached for his stack of papers, hauling it onto his lap.

"Oh come on, Dave, you know it's only because...uh because...you know!" Jack waves his hand dismissively.

"I-" Davey huffed as he got to his feet with the papers, arms screaming in protest from how much they'd already been used waving the papers today.

"Need help?" Jack interrupted.

"You're not going to take any?" Davey half-joked.

"Day-old papes? Thanks, but even I won't stoops low as to sell those." Jack lifted half from Davey's pile and the boy gave him a grateful smile that made his heart do a small flip as they began to walk back towards their sleeping quarters. Jack looked down at the papers with an amused smile. He couldn't do this poor of a job if he tried...he considered this for a moment before shrugging his shoulders, "What's say we sell papes together tomorrow? If your kid-brother ain't back in business."

Davey's eyebrows lifted in surprise, "R-Really? Why?"

"Because I-" Care about you? Find it cute- find it funny you can only sell half your papers even with effort? Like the idea of spending time with- "You look pat'etic walkin' in with a whole stack of unsold papes."

Davey scoffed and rolled his eyes, "Gee-wiz, thanks."

"Any time, Davey-Boy." Jack winked at the other who responded by looking down at the ground, "Hey, wait a moment-?" He paused outside the sleeping quarters, "Don't yous sleep at your own place?"

Davey sighed, "Yeah, but dad doesn't want me getting sick too. I'm the only one who can work."

"You'll be lucky if you find an open bed." Jack snorted.

"I'll just take yours then." Davey grinned.

Jack blushed, "Ah- um- you-"

"I-I'm kidding." Davey cleared his throat.

"Right, right- I knew- I knew that." Jack laughed awkwardly.

Davey entered the quarters first, met by a few pairs of eyes that soon left to look at Jack, all hollering welcomes along with a few for Davey himself.

"Jack? Are all those hours?" Crutchy sounded queasy as he looked at Jack's stack of Davey's papers, "That's...that's not good, Jack." He fretted, meeting the other's eyes.

"Yeah! What did you do? Try to sell to kids?" Someone hollered from the back of the room, earning a string of laughter from the room.

Davey's face turned red with embarrassment as he opened his mouth to admit they were his.

"Yeah, it was a slow day." Jack shrugged, "What can I say? Sometimes they bite- and sometimes they can't take enough time away from smellin' their money to use it." He grinned.

This caused more laughter to echo through the quarters as Jack made his way to his bunk, dropping the news-papers beside it, Davey pausing before doing the same.

"Tomorrow morning, we leave at six, got it?" Jack cocked eyebrow at Davey before climbing the short ladder to his bunk, sitting on the edge of it once he was up.

"That early?" Davey lifted his eyebrows in surprise.

"Of course that early, how else we supposed to get the preemo primo spots?" Jack snorted.

"A-Alright." Davey nodded.

Jack flopped down, closing his eyes, "Lights out- Racetrack, blow out them candles!" He slipped his vest off and shouldered his suspenders off as well before looking to Davey, still standing there, "G'night."

"Oh, u-um, G'night-" Davey began.

Race grumbled as he got out of bed to blow out any remaining light around the housing quarters, leaving the room in complete darkness.

Jack rested his head on his pillow before closing his eyes. His joints ached from how long he'd been working and how hard he'd tried to sell just to meet his daily quota. He prayed to all things holy and unholy that Les would be better soon- for his sake and for Davey's. As far as sales went, Davey was struggling along with Jack. Both of them relied not only on each other for sales, but for their third party member. Jack sighed quietly in his near-sleep. He was sure he could get along like this for until he got back into solitude practice or until Les rejoined them.
Planning.
It was something that always brought ease to Jack's mind. It was something that Davy had introduced to him during the Strike movement.
And hearing a polite clearing of a throat beside him ear was not planned, causing Jack's eyes to snap open. It took a few moments for them to adjust in the dark to see Davey leaned over the edge of his bed with a sheepish grin.

"Dave? What are you doin'? Go to sleep." Jack groaned.

"I-I know, I would- but all the bunks are taken," Davey whispered, "Where do I go?"
His voice sounded terrified and helpless.
It reminded Jack that this would be Davey's first night in the lodging house. He remembered his, back when he was a little kid. Back when crutchy had less of a limp, they'd shared the top bunk, when he could climb well enough. Crutchy had done him a solid then, surely he could pass it on now, "Erm...you can come up here if you'd like."

Davey was thankful for the dark, in it hiding his beat red face, "P-Pardon?"

"Come on," Jack scooted over to one side, "Ladder's down there- do not snore or I will push you off the bed." He warned.

Davey swallowed nervously as he unbuttoned his vest, "W-Where should I put-?"

"Just throw it on the ground and lower your voice, lemme get some sleep." Jack huffed, turning over so his back faced Davey, "Night."

A few minutes later, the bunk squeaked as Davey climbed onto it, seemingly hesitating for a moment before flopping down beside Jack, facing his back.

Jack was immediately taken by surprise at their close proximity and the warmth of it. He felt Davey's arms crammed up against Jack's back and his knees fitting snug to the backs of Jack's knees. It made him feel tingly all over and- happy? Happy...
Jack felt more than happy that Davey was here right now.

This was defiantly not the same as sharing a bunk with crutchy.

Jack only noticed a moment too late that he'd wriggled backwards, pressing closer to Davey.

Davey seemed a bit surprised but didn't protest, simply moved his arms to rest on his own sides to give Jack more room, allowing the taller to fit nicely against Davey's torso.

Jack could feel his breath coming quick and short. Davey was spooning him. Davey was spooning him and neither of them were doing anything but allowing it to happen.
This made Jack smile widely and unintentionally let out a sigh of contentment as his whole body relaxed.

Davey shared the same smile before closing his eyes, sleep coming easier than ever with the warm feeling of another body clad to his own.
His senses growing weaker, his arms unconsciously relaxed and fell from his side to lay lazily across Jack's side.

Jack flinched slightly as his eyes shot open with the sudden movement.
He turned his head slightly to find Davey fast asleep. His eyes softened at how peaceful he looked and took the opportunity to gently reach a hand up to take Davey's, pulling it closer to his chest and, in turn, pulling the other brunette closer to him until he could hug Davey's wrist close to his chest. He fiddled with the fabric of the other boy's long sleeves for a moment before growing sleepy once more, allowing his eyes to close. He couldn't have felt happier if he'd won the lottery this second as he slowly let sleep overcome him.

Jack was woken up by the sound of snickering and his eyes flickered open to find a crowd of boys surrounding his bunk, "The hell are you all-" He began to move, but was stopped by a complaining whine from a sleeping Davey who pulled him closer, their legs and arms tangled together.

Jack could feel the heat radiating off his face as he shrank into Davey's embrace.

"Got yourself a girlfriend, Jackie?" Race cooed.

Jack glared before a smirking, "A boyfriend actually, Racetrack, get it right."

This seemed to surprise the entire group of gathered boys as they gasped and murmured.

"Ah, whatever. Just tell him it's time to wake up." Race hissed before shouldering his way out of the crowd, who soon followed him other than a lingering few who winked and cooed at Jack.

"Aw shut up and get to work." Jack grumbled at them, refusing to meet their gaze. He was then taken by surprise as he felt Davy nuzzle his face into the back of his head, making him squeak slightly at the feeling of his cold nose against his neck.

"We'll cover for ya, Jack." Crutchy giggled.

"Just go." Jack groaned.
Once the others had left, however, he found himself shifting closer to Davey.
Who, when he awoke, found himself equally surprised, and equally content, with the situation.